Matt Brewing continues marketing push

Thursday

Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2008 at 11:39 PM

As F.X. Matt Brewing Co. officials await word on whether the fire-damaged second floor where canning and bottling took place is salvageable, the push to keep some Saranac beer products in your hands kicks up a notch.

Montanette Murphy

As F.X. Matt Brewing Co. officials await word on whether the fire-damaged second floor where canning and bottling took place is salvageable, the push to keep some Saranac beer products in your hands kicks up a notch.

The brewery is continuing its marketing efforts to reconnect consumers to its beers and soft drinks, said Meghan Fraser, marketing coordinator for the brewery.

On Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23, the brewery will allow consumers to sample Saranac products in five areas: Albany, Buffalo, Manhattan, Rochester and Syracuse. In the Utica area, sales representatives will hand out various beers and the Saranac Root Beer at some grocery stores and beverage centers.

Last week, the brewery’s sales representatives fanned out across the region promoting Saranac products.

Representatives conducted a marketing push called a “crew drive.” The company’s 15 sales representatives promoted and sold Saranac products to bars, restaurants, beverage centers and grocery stores across the state.

“We make some wonderful products, and if we let people try them, we have success with that,” said Nicholas Matt, president of the Utica brewery.

Workers will hand out core beers Pale Ale and Pomegranate Wheat; the brewery’s limited releases of the Pumpkin Ale and Octoberfest; and its root beer at grocery stores and beverage centers, Fraser said.

Brewery officials were concerned that because the Saranac brand wasn’t as plentiful as it was before the fire, they hoped to keep it in the forefront of customers’ minds.

The brewery had stopped producing beer for about a month, but wholesalers had a well-stocked inventory of the Saranac beers.

A fire destroyed the second floor of a brewery processing building in May and canning operations resumed about a month after the fire.

High Falls Brewing Co. in Rochester continues to can Saranac products, Matt said.